Honey is considered one of the top health foods across the world. It is the most popularly used sweetener with vast health benefits to humans. Do you want to add honey to your dog’s diet too? Can Dogs Eat Honey? Well, the short answer is YES! Dogs can eat honey. It is packed with nutrients like vitamins and antioxidants that can enhance the taste as well as the nutritional value of your dog’s meal. However, there are many things that you should be careful about when feeding honey to your dog.

But first, let us know about what makes honey such a wholesome food.

Nutritional value of honey

• Contains enzymes that help boost chemical reactions within the body.
• Consists of minerals like zinc, iron, manganese, phosphate, calcium, copper, sodium, magnesium, and potassium.
• Packed with Vitamins like B complex, C, D, E, and K.
• Rich in antioxidants, such as phenolic acids and flavonoids.

Can dogs eat honey?

Yes, dogs can eat honey. It is as nourishing to your pet as it is to you. Here are 5 reasons why honey is beneficial to your canine’s health:

1. Allergies: The pollen in honey helps create antibodies that help to strengthen your dog’s immune system. It responds to allergies by boosting the protective protein of the immune system.
2. Skin problems: Honey helps to improve your dog’s skin. It helps to soothe and heal hot spots, insect bites, scratches, and wounds. It also reduces swelling and pain.
3. Indigestion: Honey contains both prebiotics and probiotics, which induce the growth of friendly bacteria in your dog’s gut. They help in improving the digestive system and treat digestive issues such as diarrhea, constipation, and indigestion.
4. Cough and throat pain: You add a spoonful of honey in your water to cure cough and throat pain, don’t you? Likewise, you can feed your dog a half spoonful of honey to provide him/her relief from kennel cough and irritation in the throat.
5. Arthritis: Honey has anti-inflammatory properties that help ease Arthritis, a condition that causes swelling of joints and brings pain, stiffness, and discomfort in dogs. Honey helps to ease joint mobility so that your pet can move easily.

Things to be cautious about

Before you start indulging your dog with lots of honey, let’s look at a few things that you should keep in mind.

• Honey has high sugar content. If you feed too much honey to your dog, they may suffer from obesity.
• Too much honey can cause tooth decay. Remember to brush your dog’s teeth whenever you feed them honey or honey-based treats.
• Avoid honey if your dog is diabetic.
• If your dog is obese, it is better not to feed them honey as they are already overweight. There is no need for more sugar content in the body.

There is always a possibility that your dog might be allergic to honey. Serious allergic reactions may lead to a condition called Anaphylaxis which can be fatal. Allergic reactions might include itchy skin, vomiting, or diarrhea. Ask your veterinarian beforehand and if you see any allergic reactions, contact your vet immediately.

Can puppies eat honey?

Honey contains Clostridium botulinum spores, which causes a dangerous type of poisoning that affects the nervous system. As puppies do not have a fully developed immune system, they cannot fight the toxins released from the spores, and might become acutely ill. So, the answer is no. Do not give honey or any food with honey to your puppy (Below 1 year of age).

Not just puppies, honey is also dangerous to children under the age of 1 year.

How much honey can you feed your dog?

In the case of honey, like any other human food, moderation is the key. You can start small and let your dog adjust to the taste and texture of honey. If your dog seems to like it and shows no symptoms of allergies, you can gradually increase the quantity and give them the optimal amount.

To help you with the right quantity, here is a table that shows the amount according to your dog’s weight.

How to feed honey to your dog?

You can directly feed honey from a spoon to lick or you can mix it with fruits like apples and bananas for a fun treat. You can also spread a thin layer of honey over their favorite snack.

We have included recipes at the end of the article for your furry friend. Scroll down to find out.

What is the right kind of honey for your dog?

Now that you know dogs can eat honey, you might also want to know the right kind. There are two kinds of honey you will find in the market: Raw honey and Regular honey. Raw honey is the better kind of honey for your dog! Read on to find out why.

Raw honey is honey extracted straight from the honeycomb. It is taken as it is from the beehive and only filtered for some natural remains. Regular honey, as found in stores, is pasteurized and filtered. It has been processed to stay clear for a long time and may also contain additional sweeteners.

There are very few studies comparing the types. Regular honey might contain fewer antioxidants due to processing methods. Since raw honey doesn’t have any refining, all the nutrients are present in an adequate amount. Therefore, we recommend you to feed your dog raw honey over regular honey.

Raw honey is cloudy and dense (on the left) whereas Regular honey is clear and smooth (on the right).

Other products from a beehive that are beneficial for your dog

You are now certain that dogs can eat honey. But what about other products from beehives? The answer is YES! They are equally healthy too.

Bee Pollen

Pollen is the most nutritious part of honey. They fight free radicals (unstable atoms that can damage cells and lead to cancer and premature aging) which help your dog to live longer. Guess what, you can directly feed these pollen grains to your dog. Just like honey, go slow. Feed your dog only a few granules a day.

Bees Wax

Bees Wax acts as a healthy ointment for your dog. You can mix the wax with herbal oil and apply it in your dog’s elbow or paw to heal dryness and irritation.

Two recipes for your canine companion:

Honey cake by Allrecipes

Do you want to bake a delicious cake for your dog’s birthday? We have just the recipe for you!

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• ¼ cup peanut butter (Not all types of peanut butter are safe for your dog. Find out which ones to use here.)
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup whole wheat or white flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Grease a 6-cup ring mold or Bundt pan.
3. Combine egg, peanut butter, oil, vanilla, and honey in a large bowl and mix well.
4. Stir in the carrots.
5. Sift together the flour and baking soda, then fold into the carrot mixture.
6. Spoon batter into a cake pan.
7. Bake for 40 minutes.
8. Let cool in cake pan for 10 minutes, then take it out of the pan to completely cool.
9. Once cool, cut into slices and serve one to your dog.

You can have a bite yourself along with your birthday pooch!

Banana and honey dog treats by Allrecipes

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups of water
2. 2 mashed bananas ( Bananas are absolutely safe for dogs. Find out more here.)
3. 2 tablespoons honey
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5. 1 egg
6. 4 and a 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
7. 1 teaspoon baking powder

Steps to follow:

1. Preheat oven 350°F (175°C)
2. Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets.
3. Combine water, mashed bananas, honey, vanilla extract, and egg in a large bowl.
4. Stir in whole-wheat flour and baking powder.
5. Beat dough with a mixer until ingredients are thoroughly combined (1 to 2 minutes).
6. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until no longer sticky (5 to 8 minutes).
7. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into mini shapes with your favorite cookie cutter.
8. Place dough shapes on prepared baking sheets.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are lightly browned (about 20 minutes).
10. Turn off the oven and leave cookies until thoroughly dry and crisp (30 to 40 more minutes).
11. Remove baking sheets from the oven and allow cookies to cool on pans for 10 minutes. And finally, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to fully cool.

Voila! Freshly baked treats are ready for your dog to enjoy anytime.

Are you still wondering if dogs can eat honey? In most cases, they can. Just be sure to add the right amount of honey to your beloved dog’s diet. Keep in mind to always consult your veterinarian before giving honey, or any human food to your dog.

To find out more about what your dog can or cannot eat, visit our website.